One Size Does Not Fit All

Elizabeth F. Comella

ITEC-7530 Instr Tech FoundationS

Instructor: Kelly Paynter

March 2, 2014

One Size Does Not Fit All:

Fostering 21st Century Learning

With Assistive Technology

One Size Doesn’t Fit All.

• Not all students have the same abilities therefore teachers need to use other means in order to teach all children in their classroom.

Today all students are expected to “learn to their full potential and that all teachers will find a way to enable each individual to be

successful” (Gregory & Chapman, 2007)

No Child Left Behind

• No Child Left Behind mandated by the federal government set high standards and goals in order to hold teachers accountable in the classroom for all students (No Child Left Behind Act of 2001).

Special Education

• Children who lack abilities might require assistive technology (AT) in order to increase, maintain or improve functions due to his/her disabilities.

Cennamo, Ross, Ertmer, 2010

The Need for Assistive Technology

K-12 Education• In order to implement AT in a

student’s IEP• In order to give the student with a

disability a level learning environment as their peers

• To all a student to succeed in a task that they might not be able to achieve without assistive technology.

What is Assistive Technology (AT)?

• Assistive Technology is any piece of equipment that can be used to improve functions due to disabilities of an individual.

Types of Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology is classified as:

– no technology

– low technology

– high technology

LD Online, 2001

No-Technology

No-Technology is any device that is not electronic.

–Picture cards to communicate

–Specialized paper

–ABC stickers to spell words on paper

–Magnifiers

–Pencil grips

Low Technology

Low Technology is any device that is electronic but does not have computer components.

–Closed Caption TVs

–Alternative mouse and keyboard

–Amplifiers

–Calculator

High Technology

High Technology is any device that is electronic and is computerized.

–Powered Wheelchair

–Computer with specialized software

–Voice software to dictate student work

Digital Pens can Assist in Learning

Students with Specific learning disabilities often have trouble in the classroom when they have to take notes. In this article it shows how high school students can now use digital pens in order to improve and enhance note-taking. These pens allow for students with language-based learning disabilities to keep notes while using their “working memory, visuals, and auditory learning capacities” (Belson, Hartmann, & Sherman, 2013) in order to increase learning. This technology allows students to be able to take notes without having to worry about handwriting and spelling while still being able to follow along in class.

Belson, S., Hartmann, D., and Sherman, J. (2013). Digital Note Taking: The Use of Electronic Pens with Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. Retrieved on March 1, 2014 from http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=55cb0af6-7e8e-4bb7-9733-695d3ba9bc02%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4108.

Student Work on an iPad

This is an exampleof a student who is not able to write but completed a worksheet on the iPad.

Student Work continued…

The iPad allows the student to still work on the same class workas her peers.

One Size Doesn’t fit all

Assistive Technology should be chosen to meet the needs of the student. Not every child needs an iPad or computer as their assistive technology needs. Children should be evaluated in their IEP meetings to find the AT device to help the child succeed.

References

Belson, S., Hartmann, D., and Sherman, J. (2013). Digital Note Taking: The Use of

Electronic Pens with Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. Retrieved on

March 1, 2014 from

http://ehis.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=55cb0af6-7e8e-

4bb7-9733-695d3ba9bc02%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4108.

Gregory, G. H., & Chapman, C. (2007). Differentiated instructional strategies: One size

doesn’t fit all (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

LD Online (2001). Retrieved March 2, 2014 from www.ldonline.org

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C. § 6319 (2008).